The present invention relates to artificial fishing lures and, in particular, to a molded, soft plastic-bodied attractor which threadably mounts in weedless relation about a fish hook.
In the recent past, a host of soft plastic-bodied lure dressings have been developed in a rainbow of colors and scents for enhancing the attractant qualities of a fishing lure. Such dressings are available in a variety of shapes, from crawfish, to worms, to grub-like members, but each of which generally includes a trailing tail member shaped to oscillate and/or vibrate in the water as the lure is retrieved.
The dressings are commonly mounted to the hook by threading the hook barb through a desired body part until the barb and hook eye are properly positioned relative to the coupled fishing line. Most commonly, the barb remains exposed relative to the body of the dressing, although in various riggings, such as "Texas" rigged worms, the barb of a specially bent fish hook is embedded into the body member to provide weedless operation. Upon the occurrence of a fish strike and the setting of the hook, the barb is forced through the body. Again, though, specially formed hooks are required to prevent undesired lure rotation, yet provide a vibrating tail action and an undulating appearance to the lure upon retrieval.
Whereas the foregoing methodology is compatible with artificial worm rigs, lead head jig fishing does not readily lend itself to weedless rigging. In fact, most commonly the hook-containing jig head is merely threaded onto a shortened worm-like body having an elongated vibrating tail and relative to which the barb is positioned in exposed relation. Weedless operation, however, is generally unattainable, without the aid of other add-on devices to shield the barb and throat area of the hook. Most commonly, these latter devices comprise one or more relatively stiff filamentary members which are mounted to rearwardly angulate from the head area to align with and shield the barb from passing weeds and other aquatic obstructions.
Otherwise, to the extent Applicant is aware of any other weedless devices, they generally comprise separable, aerodynamically designed attachments for single, double and trebel hooks, which the angler must separately store in his/her tackle box and attach as needed to the lure. Examples of two treble hook guards of which Applicant is aware can be found upon directing attention to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,332,400 and 3,815,274. The '400 patent discloses a flared, hollow coned body member, the widest portion of which mounts adjacent the barb and squeezes inward with a fish strike, but which relies on other lure components to provide vibratory action. The '274 patent, in contrast, discloses a rigid, spring-loaded hook guard which allows the hook to slide forward with a fish strike, but otherwise adds no attractant qualities to the presentation.
While each of the foregoing soft plastic-bodied dressings and weedless hook attachments offer desirable advantages, nowhere does there presently exist a soft-bodied dressing that provides inherent weedless operation when a conventional hook is used. Still further and appreciating increasing recent attention to the importance of a lure's "speed of fall" and related movement, as it sinks to the initial depth from which the angler begins his/her retrieve, and the correspondence of these fall characteristics to triggering a fish strike, nowhere are existing lures designed to fall at a controlled rate, nor are they designed to impart any particular movement as they descend. The importance of these latter attributes is discussed in Bassmaster magazine, April, 1987, pp. 129-132.